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ABEL BREAR, vor sAueA'TUcK; -c0NNEcTIcUT- if Letters Patent No. 59,953, dated ,November 27, 1866. i

e" y SPECIFICATION.

TO 4ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, ABEL BREAR, of Sangatuck, in the county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, Vhave invented a new and improved Game Trap and I'do herebyr declare thatthe following is Aa full, clear, `and exact description of thesame, reference being had toV the accempanying drawing, which forms part of this specification, y

Many Vspecies of game, such as ducks, partridges, Woodcock,quail,` etc., are accustomed to fly in certain places; for instance, ducks are in the habit of flying in a straight oo urse over a creek or sheet of water, from one toten feet above its surface,l and, during the day, they-generally ilyV rapidly over the same course inthe 1f morning and evening, if not ottener; partridges and qailsdirect'their course, through cleared passages inthe I it woods; and Woodcock around the outskirts of the thicket. The object of myinvention is to construct a trap i l across the path, of the game, in such manner as to be comparatively undiscernible'to the birds `asthey rush, i toward it, and yet have the effect oflkilling vor disabling them: l 'i The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention.

Figur/e1 being a side`elevation of the trap; and i V i Figure Zis a' plan or top view, showingy nets stretched across the river on both sides of the trap. 'A A designate `two posts or supports, that, A, being located on one bank of a sheet-ot`4 water, and that, A,`; s on the opposite bank. Any object in nature, suitable for the purpose, that theplace affords where the trap isi to be set, may be employed for supports, such asvtrees growing suficien'tly in line for the purpose. GC desig-` nate that part of the trap which I termthe stretchers. In the present instance they are of wire, but may` .be of cord or any other suitable material. The wires, C, are secured at ol'ie of their ends to thesupportfor post, A', and at thelother to that, A', so as to stretch in horizontal (or nearly so) lines across the space -betwecn` `the supports. It would be well to have the/lowest stretcher, C, about afoot from thesurface ofthe water, if the trap is to be set over such place, and the highestone about eighteen feet above the same. This 4size oftrap would, in ordinary cases, be sufficient for catching ducks and other game lying along the water. `But I will remark, that the size vof the trap'and the distance apart of thefstre'tehers should be regulated according to the habits-of flight y i and size of the game for which the trap is set.4 'In practice I have found that if the stretchersbe placed nine inches .m i apart the trap answers well for duck and partridges; if placed four inches apart, for woodcock andquail. Ihave i I ,N noticed that the birds above mentioned fly with great speed when going toand from feed, as it is called, and in the same course daily they come upon the trap, which they do not observe, and strike it withsuch force as, in the., majorityiof cases, to kill theui` instantly, and in other vcases toV disable them so that their `escape isrquite impossible. I have noticed, also, that after striking the trap-.the momentum of the bir'ds body usually carriesA it tail foremost through an intervening space of the stretchers. D D represent nets which arestretched across the Water at a proper distance above and below the trap, in such manner as to 'preventthe game, whether killed i or wounded, from escaping either up or down the sheet of water. These nets may be located as occasion may i suggest, and either one or two might be used, or the net may completely surround the trap; the latter would be .1 p advantageous on the land. The net acts as afence around the trap to prevent the wounded game from escaping, and the killed from being carried awaywith the tide, and it may be secured in position in any suitable way.` I 3 have shown two seine-like nets attached to posts, E E, onfeach side. of lthe trap. `Instead of arranging the` stretchers in a horizontal line, they may be otherwise arranged, vertically for instance, in which latter case inclined or horizontal strips may'be used at top and bottom, and the stretchers secured' at their` respective ends x to them. Sol also may the stretchers be arranged in amanner to break spaces, that is, two stretchers may L be placed at a'certain distance apart, and another stretcher in advance of these, at, say, about half way of 4the I distance between them. This trap' is equally. as useful on theland as on the water, and insuch cases it can be set across the places or in the course where the game is in the habit of flying.

What I claim as my'invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is p 1. The combination, Vto form a game trap, ofsupports and stretchers, constructed, arranged, and operating y substantially as herein speciied. i

2. The combination with such trap of a net D, one or more, substantially asand for the purpose specified.`

4 A. BREA-R if Witnesses: M. LIVINGSTON,

4 Jas. BUTLER. 

